Watch



Filed March 1942 IN EN fOR. fire/Poss 0/ 5/16,

6. DITESHEIM 2,341,271

Patented Feb. 8, 1944 WATCH Georges Ditesheim, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland Application March 5, 1942, Serial No. 433,434 In Switzerland May 23, 1941 4 Claims.

The present invention is directed to watches, more particularly, to a construction wherein the thickness of the watch may be reduced.

The invention is based upon a novel form of construction in which the movement is beveled at the back side thereof in the area adjacent to the edges of the movement. This permits the use of a back for the case which is similarly beveled and is provided along its outer edge with threads which fit into a correspondingly threaded block or case member. The invention is further characterized by a beveling or sloping of the sides of the dial of the watch and provision of a crystal which has generally the same contours as the dial and thus further reduce the thickness of the watch.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof, and in which like reference characters indicate like parts:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a watch made in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional View thereof taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the movement being shown in elevation in order to more clearly represent the structure.

There is provided a movement I of the usual type, having a dial 2 on the front surface thereof, the movement being secured in ring 3 to form a single unit. A block 4 constituting the principal member of the casing, has a recess into which ring 3 fits in order to securely hold the movement in place. Along the outer sides of the back of movement I there is a beveled surface 5 sloping towards ring 3 in order to reduce the thickness of the movement at its outer periphery. A movement cap 6 fitted onto ring 3 along its edge 1 is similarly beveled as shown at 8. The cap 6 is intended to provide a dust-proof cover for the movement.

The block 4 has at the back side an internal recess which is threaded as shown at 9. A similarly threaded portion I provided on b ack H, cooperates with threads 9 whereby the back ll may be securely held in place. The side portions of back H are beveled as shown at 12 to correspond with beveled portions 8 and of cap 6 and movement I respectively. By reason of the beveled portions in the three aforesaid elements, the back I I is enabled to fit into the casing block instead of over the top thereof, and thus the thickness of the assembly is reduced.

A soft rubber washer I3 or similar element is interposed between threaded portion l0 and. block 4 to prevent the access of water. An opening [4 in block 4 communicates with an enlarged opening I5 in movement I to provide space for the usual stem mechanism of the watch.

The dial 2 has its sides l6 sloping along a curved surface to block 4. This is similar to the beveled portion 5 and serves the same purpose. The watch crystal I8 has a similarly curved side portion I! which fits into recess IQ of block 4 to form a dust-proof and water-tight transparent cover. If desired, packing material may be introduced between crystal l8 and recess IS. The back H is provided with a pair of oppositely placed angular openings 20 to allow the use of a tool to assist in threading the back into the case.

Because of the construction as set forth above, the movement is partially within the removable back of the watch, the result being that with a slight increase in the diameter of the case, the thickness of the watch is substantially reduced. This reduction of thickness is further obtained by the curvature of the dial.

What is claimed is:

1. In a watch of extreme thinness, a movement cap, a ring, a relatively thin watch movement having a front dial in said ring forming a unit therewith and with said cap, a casing block surrounding said ring, means for fitting said ring into the inner surface of said block, the thickness of said block being less than the thickness of said movement, the central portion of said movement being thicker than the edge thereof, said move ment cap having its outer surface in a plane below that of the lower face of said block, the plane of said dial being above that of the upper face of said block, a threaded recess in the lower part of said block, a back fitted into said recess, said back, cap and movement fitting closely together and having their edges beveled.

2. In a watch of extreme thinness, a movement cap, a ring, a relatively thin watch movement having a front dial in said ring forming a unit therewith and with said cap, a casing block surrounding said ring, means for fitting said ring into the inner surface of said block, the thickness of said block being less than the thickness of said movement, the central portion of said movement being thicker than the edge thereof, said dial having a flat central face with its edges curving down to said ring, said ring being substantially thinner than said block, said movement cap having its outer surface in a plane below that of the lower face of said block, the plane of said dial being above that of the upper face of said block, a threaded recess in the lower part of said block, a back fitted into said recess, said back, cap and movement fitting closely together and having their edges beveled.

3. In a watch of extreme thinness, a movement cap, a ring, a relatively thin Watch movement having a front dial in said ring forming a unit therewith and with said cap, a casing block surrounding said ring, means for fitting said ring into the inner surface of said block, the thickness of said block being less than the thickness of said movement, the central portion of said movement being thicker than the edge thereof, said dial having a flat central face with its edges curving down to said ring, said ring being substantially thinner than said block, said movement cap having its outer surface in a plane below that of the lower face of said block, the plane of said dial being above that of the upper face of said block, a threaded recess in the lower part of said block, a back fitted into said recess, said back, cap and movement fitting closely together and having their edges beveled and a fiat washer interposed between the innermost face of said cover and an inner face of said block within said threaded recess.

4. In a watch of extreme thinness, a movement cap, a. ring, a relatively thin watch movement having a front dial in said ring forming a unit therewith and with said cap, a casing block surrounding said ring, means for fitting said ring into the inner surface of said block, the thickness of said block being less than the thickness of said movement, the central portion of said movement being thicker than the edge thereof, said dial having a flat central face with its edges curving down to said ring, said ring being substantially thinner than said block, said movement cap having its outer surface in a plane below that of the lower face of said block, the plane of said dial being above that of the upper face of said block, a threaded recess in the lower part of said block, a back fitted into said recess, said back, cap and movement fitting closely together and having their edges beveled, a recess around the top of said block adjacent to said ring, and a crystal held in said recess.

GEORGES DITESHEIM. 

